Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David) novel Chapter 201

"Danielle quickly worked on the lighter, her heart racing, but her face stayed calm.

"The lighter was being difficult. 'I swear, if you don't light now, I'm tossing you,' she thought, but maybe it was the threat that did it; the lighter finally sparked.

"She lit the cotton swab and handed the other torch to Xavier.

The cave lit up, and the bats stopped flying toward them, though they didn't scatter. They just hovered in the air, screeching louder, clearly annoyed.

“Forget about them for now. The torches won't last long, we need to move," Danielle said, her voice tense.

"Then, she pulled out a pouch of medicinal powder. "Xavier, cover your mouth and nose." She tossed a handful of the powder into the air.

"The powder stuck to the bats, and many of them dropped to the ground. Xavier blinked, stunned by what his sister had just done. The bats seemed less like a threat now.

“This powder really works. Sprinkle more and take out all these damn things," Xavier said, clearly excited.

"The squeaking grew louder, and Danielle couldn't tell if the bats were reacting to Xavier's words or the sight of their fallen comrades, but the noise was deafening. She felt like her ears were going to explode.

“There's no more. I used it all," Danielle said, a frustrated look on her face.

“What now? They sound like they're getting even angrier." Xavier now started panicking.

"A few larger vampire bats swooped down toward them. Danielle held the torch in her left hand and the dagger in her right, ready to fight.

"The big bats led the charge, with the smaller ones quickly following, all coming at them. Danielle swung the torch at them, hoping to scare them off, but the big bats dodged easily.

"The bats split into two groups and came at them from both sides. Danielle managed to dodge the attack, but more bats were circling above them, getting closer.

"Danielle tightened her grip on the dagger, eyes sharp. "Do you think the big bats are in charge of the smaller ones? If they are, maybe we just need to take them out. You know, take out the leader, and the rest will scatter."

"With that thought in mind, Danielle made her move. A large bat came straight at her, but this time, she didn't dodge. Dagger in hand, she ran at it and plunged the blade deep into its body. In one swift motion, the bat fell dead.

"As if she had cracked the code, she shouted, "Xavier, take care of the big ones!"

"Xavier wasn't having the same luck. He was swinging a stick around, trying to hit, but his aim was all over the place. After a bunch of wild swings, his arms were burning, and he still hadn't taken one down. Meanwhile, Danielle seemed to drop a bat with every strike.

“I'm trying! But these bats are all over me!" Xavier grumbled. "It's like they're ganging up for me. Why don't they play fair?"

"Danielle, too focused on the bats, couldn't help but notice that the swarm had shifted its attention to Xavier. They must've noticed how strong she was and decided Xavier was the easier target.

“We were worried about you two. If something happens to you, what's the point of us staying safe?

"We don't know what's coming next. Let's rest and eat something before we go any further," Vivian said, pulling out some bread and water from her backpack and handing it to Howard and the kids.

“We should've had the bodyguards come in with us. They're trained, so Danielle wouldn't have to be the only one protecting us," Xavier said, frustration creeping in.

“If we'd brought them all, and those people caused more trouble, the villagers wouldn't stand a chance. Leaving the bodyguards behind also helps them. Once we're out, we'll deal with it. We have to keep our word," Howard replied firmly.

“I don't get why they're so obsessed with this village. What are they after? Or is there treasure hidden here? You mentioned this place being a forbidden area, maybe that's why all these things are in our way?" Vivian wondered aloud, piecing things together like a detective.

Danielle chewed on her bread quietly, her mind elsewhere. The villagers were clearly under some sort of spell. If, like the village chief said, someone poisoned them, it could be a disaster. She had heard from her Cloud about different types of curses, ones that controlled minds.

"Thinking of him made her uneasy. His whereabouts unknown, she couldn't reach him. He refused to use a phone, sticking to letters. She'd been back with the Darling family for so long and hadn't heard from him, not even a reply to her letters.

"Once they found Matthew, Danielle thought maybe it would be time to go back and see if her master was still on the mountain. She hoped nothing had happened to him.

"And the poison inside her was getting harder to keep under control. The antidote they were working on still wasn't ready, and the universal antidote she had come up with had no effect on it.

"Danielle feared that one day, she'd lose control and wouldn't recognize her family anymore. 'What if I hurt them? Maybe I should just lock myself in a cage when I get back before it gets to that point,' she thought, her worry growing.